Defense Minister Pistorius is outraged at how the Bundeswehr is treated in Germany. In no other country is one’s own troops spoken so badly about. “Honestly: I’ve had enough.”
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is insisting on increasing his budget by several billion euros amid ongoing budget negotiations. A reliable defense requires a reliable and sustainable budget.
“It is therefore clear to me that there is no way around the permanent investment of at least two percent of our national economic output in our alliance and national defense capabilities,” the SPD politician continued at the 74th Overseas Day in Hamburg. “Our common security costs money. But I am convinced that it is money well invested because we in Germany in particular know the value of the promise of common security.”
Pistorius: Russia is and remains the biggest threat to security
Russia is and remains the greatest threat to security and peace in the Euro-Atlantic region. “That’s why it’s our job to help Ukraine win. We can’t stand on the sidelines and wait to see what happens,” said Pistorius, referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. He warned against trivializing the terminology. This is not a conflict between two countries. “It is an imperialist war of aggression that violates international law and pursues only one goal: to deprive Ukraine of its territorial sovereignty, to deprive people of their freedom and to annex the national territory.”
Minister: Need an adapted form of military service
Pistorius is worried about troop numbers. This also raises the question of basic military service or even general compulsory military service. He is currently working on various open-ended options in his ministry. Pistorius announced a concrete proposal in the coming weeks.
A lot has already happened with the equipment. The 100 billion euro special fund is already fully contractually bound by the end of the year, but production in the defense industry must be increased significantly. To do this, this must be strengthened. “In this context it also means that we (…) have to rethink our arms export policy.” At the moment, this does not do justice to the changing times or the aggravated geopolitical situation. “A responsible arms policy not only takes into account our alliance and security interests and our moral ideas, but also supports our proven and new partners, who are themselves exposed to immediate threats, especially outside the European Union and NATO.”
Pistorius: No other country speaks so badly about its own armed forces
Pistorius complained bitterly about the recognition of the Bundeswehr in Germany. “I don’t know of any country (…) in which people talk about their own armed forces as badly as they do in Germany. And to be honest: I’ve had enough,” he said. Not only did the troops not deserve that, they were also much better than their reputation. The Bundeswehr is doing an excellent job, but must also be appropriately equipped in order to be combat-ready.
Source: Stern
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